Growing Closer
by ginnyweasley777
Summary: Post OotP. It’s the summer before Harry's sixth year, and he's still dwelling on Sirius' death. Harry and Ginny are growing closer as Harry stops blaming himself for Sirius having died. Disclaimer Everything belongs to J K Rowling.
1. Chapter 1

Growing Closer

Once again, my thanks go to Vikor Aagaard for betaing this story. Much appreciated.

Chapter 1

It was three days since Harry had arrived at the Burrow, three days in which he had been moping around and shutting himself off to everyone who cared about him. In short he was exactly the same as he had been at Christmas. The difference was that this time he was blaming himself for Sirius' death and not for the attack on Mr Weasley.

Harry was reserved with everyone at The Burrow and if anyone mentioned Sirius then he would fly out of the house and into the garden, alone. Mrs Weasley thought he just needed to work through it and come to terms with Sirius's death on his own, Ron and Hermione thought that he needed to talk with someone and let all his feelings out instead of bottling them up inside of him. He certainly didn't want to talk to an Order member because that would just make his pain worse and Remus Lupin was out of the question because he was off on a task for the Order.

So, finally Ron and Hermione came to the conclusion that the only person who could help Harry with what he was going through was Ginny and they resolved to ask her as soon as they got the chance.

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Ginny watched silently as Harry left the room, saying that he was tired, after he had half heartedly finished playing a game of wizard chess with Ron. She felt a gnawing sense of worry for him as he closed the door behind him with a sharp click.

As soon as the door was closed and Harry's footsteps faded as he went upstairs, Hermione pounced. "Ginny, you need to talk to Harry."

"What for?" replied Ginny, surprised.

"He's blaming himself for Sirius' death and he's shutting us all out, he won't talk about it to us at all," said Ron, a frown appearing on his forehead.

"What makes you think that he'll talk to me if he won't talk to you?" asked Ginny.

"He listened to you at Christmas when he thought he was being possessed by You Know Who," replied Ron.

"All I did was tell him the truth because I knew what it felt like," Ginny muttered, a shadow crossing her face.

"Tell him the truth again," finished Hermione simply, "He needs to know that he's not to blame and that he can't cut himself off from us forever."

Ginny thought back to how Harry had been since he had arrived at The Burrow and he i_had_/i hardly been speaking to anyone. It was as if he had withdrawn into himself and didn't really notice anyone around him. "I'll try but I can't promise that I'll be able to help him."

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The next night at dinner, Mr Weasley had news of the Death Eaters. "Kingsley is fairly sure that Bellatrix Lestrange and some of the other Death Eaters are at hiding out at Lucius Malfoy's place. He's sending some Aurors tomorrow to find out and hopefully catch them."

At the mention of Bellatrix Lestrange, Harry got up from the table, an angry scowl on his handsome face, and left through the back door.

"Ron, go and see if he's alright," said Mrs Weasley worriedly.

Seeing her chance to talk to Harry, Ginny got up from the table. "It's okay, Mum, I'll go. I've finished eating."

Ginny left the kitchen and hurried after Harry who was going across the garden. She followed him around the side of the pond and out to the paddock where they played Quidditch. Hastening after him, she followed Harry into the trees and was surprised to find him sitting on a log in a clearing with his head in his hands. Moving quietly so as not to startle him, she sat down.

Attempting a cheery tone she said, "I thought I was the only one who came and sat here. It's the only place I can escape from my brothers for a bit of peace and quiet."

"I saw it once when I was flying with Ron," muttered Harry into his hands.

Taking a deep breath, Ginny decided to get straight to the point. "Everyone is worried about you, shutting yourself off like this."

"It's for their own good."

"What do you mean?" asked Ginny, confused by Harry's answer.

Finally, Harry lifted his head, tears in his emerald eyes, and looked straight at Ginny. "Don't you see? Everyone who cares about me ends up dying, all I do is cause people to die or get hurt."

"Don't you dare talk like that! That's not true and you know it. You didn't cause Sirius to die, that was Bellatrix Lestrange," replied Ginny angrily.

"It was my fault that he went to the Department of Mysteries, my fault all of you went. I could have got you killed, Ginny. Don't you care about that?" fumed Harry.

"I went because I chose to go, and so did Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, Sirius and all the other Order members. You were tricked by Voldemort but you still went to try and save Sirius."

"And I got him killed!"

"No you didn't," said Ginny more calmly than she felt, "When you saw that vision of Sirius being tortured you went _willingly_ even though you knew that there were going to be Death Eaters there. It could just as easily been you who got killed, or me, or any one of us who were there. Look, what I'm trying to say is that Sirius knew that there would be Death Eaters there, just as we all did. It was Voldemort's and Bellatrix's faults that Sirius died, not yours."

"I still feel responsible," whispered Harry softly.

"I still felt responsible for nearly killing Hermione and all those others in my first year, even though I knew whose fault it really was," replied Ginny, shivering at the memory of her first year and the Chamber of Secrets.

"It was Voldemort who did that, not you," answered Harry darkly.

"I know that now, but it didn't make me feel any better after it happened, because deep down I'll always know that it _was_ partly my fault."

"That really wasn't your fault. How could it be?" asked Harry.

"I was the one who was stupid enough to write in that diary in the first place," said Ginny, looking at the ground.

"Ginny you-"

She cut him off. "Let's just agree to disagree on that one. I came out here to stop you from blaming yourself for Sirius' death. Have I succeeded?"

"Yes, you're right, nothing could have stopped Sirius from going. He would probably have gone even if I hadn't been there, if it had just been the Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries. I still miss him though, a lot."

"I miss him too you know, he was a great person," said Ginny softly.

They slipped into a companionable silence with Ginny trying not to think about how close they were sitting and how warm Harry's leg felt against hers when Harry broke the silence with a question that had been on his mind since the train ride home from Hogwarts.

"How's Dean?"

"I don't really know," replied Ginny, shrugging.

"I thought you were going out with him."

Ginny rolled her eyes and laughed. "I only said that to shut Ron up, you know what a pain he can be sometimes."

Harry laughed with her. "Yeah, so you're not going out with him?"

"No, why?" replied Ginny, looking curiously at Harry.

"No reason, I just wondered," said Harry casually, his insides jumping, as he sneaked a look at Ginny's face, half hidden under her long flaming red hair.

"You know, you can always talk to me Harry, you don't need to shut yourself away from your feelings."

"I know I can," said Harry, standing up, "Should we go back in? I need to apologise to your mum for storming out like that."

"Yeah," replied Ginny, taking the hand he offered her.

They walked back down the hill to The Burrow in silence, with Ginny wondering why Harry hadn't let go of her hand. Not that she was complaining, when her small hand fit so nicely into Harry's much larger one. Ginny might have made out to everyone all year that she no longer had feelings for Harry but that was i_definitely_/i not true. She had become good friends with Harry over the past year and had done her best to ignore the fact that he had spent most of it mooning over Cho. Thank Merlin he was over her now. If anything she felt more for Harry now because she had got over her hero worship of him and got to know him properly, as the person he really was.

Harry also had a similar train of thought. One which consisted of a voice in his head, his own voice for once, screaming happily that Ginny wasn't going out with Dean after all. The main reason for this was that after his disastrous date with Cho, Harry had in fact started noticing Ginny in a much different way to what he had previously. He hoped sincerely that Hermione had been wrong, if that was even possible, when she had told him that Ginny had given up on him. Not to mention hoping that he hadn't imagined Ron hinting on the train ride home from Hogwarts that Ginny should choose Harry as her boyfriend. Especially since he i_really_/i liked the feel of her hand in his.


	2. Chapter 2

Growing Closer

Oce again, my thanks go to Viktor Aagaard for betaing this story.

Chapter 2

Over the course of the next few weeks, Harry found himself spending more and more time with Ginny. They played Quidditch together and played pranks on Ron and Hermione, who had finally got together. Harry had been suspicious of them for a few days, mainly because there had been a distinct lack in their bickering, before he had walked in on them kissing in the kitchen. So, as Ron and Hermione basked in their newfound happiness, Harry found himself becoming much closer to Ginny.

Harry had finally discovered, in the weeks since his talk with Ginny, that the feelings that he had started to develop for her were quite unlike what he had felt for Cho, and they grew quickly into something much deeper as he got to know her better.

Harry was due to go back to Hogwarts the next day, along with Ron and Hermione, for their sixth year, and Ginny would be starting her fifth. But, for what must have been the first time ever, Harry didn't want to go back to Hogwarts. This was because Ginny would be in her classes, separate from his, and had her own friends at Hogwarts, meaning that he wouldn't be spending nearly as much time with her.

It was with a heavy heart that Harry went into the kitchen that night at The Burrow and sat down next to Ginny. Somehow, he managed to get through the meal without anyone noticing how down he was feeling. He left the table to go upstairs as soon as he had finished eating, saying that he needed to finish packing.

Once he reached Ron's room, Harry threw himself onto his bed and lay looking up at the ceiling. He had been there for about five minutes when Ron came in, having finished saying goodnight to Hermione, and sat down.

"Harry, do you fancy Ginny?"

Shocked to the core, Harry coughed and spluttered before being able to speak. Trying to keep his face immobile he replied, "What makes you say that?"

"It's obvious, you've hardly been separated all summer. I've never seen you so happy. That's why you've been so down today isn't it, because we're going back to Hogwarts tomorrow?" said Ron, a thoughtful look on his face.

i_Since when has Ron noticed things like that? I wonder if Hermione has started rubbing off on him?_/i thought Harry.

Harry sat up and decided to tell Ron the truth. He just hoped he wouldn't get punched for it. "Yeah, I'll miss her when we're back at school and in separate classes."

"She's not going out with Dean is she?"

"No."

"Just tell her how you feel then."

"What if Ginny doesn't feel the same way? Hermione said she'd got over me," muttered Harry, feeling frustrated.

"Harry, Ginny never got over you, she still likes you."

"How do you know?"

"Trust me, I know these things," replied Ron, grinning.

"You mean you asked Hermione."

"Yeah," replied Ron happily. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Are you going to tell her?"

Taking a deep breath, Harry nodded. "I'll tell her tomorrow if I get chance."

He laid back down on his bed as Ron left to go to the bathroom. In the quiet, he tried to calm the nerves he got just at the thought of telling Ginny how he felt about her. Just the thought made his stomach start doing flip flops. Thinking of how much he had enjoyed Ginny's presence over the summer and how she had helped him get over Sirius' death made Harry resolve to talk to Ginny as soon as he got the chance.

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There was a lot of bustling around the next morning as Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione readied for returning to Hogwarts. They all took their trunks to the front door to wait for the two taxis to arrive to take them to Kings Cross. When they did arrive, Harry found himself in one car with Ginny and Mrs Weasley, as Ron and Hermione got into the second one with Mr Weasley.

During the drive to King's Cross, Harry was only too aware of how close he was sitting to Ginny in the back seat, and of the soft smell of her flowery shampoo. He marvelled at the way her hair shone so many different shades of red depending on which way the sunlight hit it, and at the light smattering of freckles across her face.

It was fortunate that they arrived at King's Cross station quickly because Harry had to keep focusing on Mrs Weasley, who was sitting in the front seat next to the driver, to stop himself from kissing Ginny and telling her his feelings there and then.

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They managed to get their trunks out of the taxis and through the barrier onto Platform 9¾ without any trouble. Before Harry knew it, he was on the train and waving goodbye to Mr and Mrs Weasley as the platform rushed away from the Hogwarts Express.

He turned to the others. "Shall we get a compartment then?" he asked.

"Sorry mate, we've got to go to the prefect's carriage," replied Ron. "Wish we didn't," he added in an undertone as he and Hermione dragged their trunks up the train.

"Come on then," said Ginny, grabbing Harry's arm and pulling him forward.

Harry tried to ignore the pleasant tingling sensation in his arm where Ginny touched him, but gave up when she smiled brightly at him as they reached an empty compartment near the end of the train. He followed Ginny in and heaved their trunks up into the luggage rack before sitting down opposite her.

During the next half hour Harry wrestled with his inner resolve whether to tell Ginny exactly how he felt about her or not. Finally, summoning all of his Gryffindor courage, he decided to tell her.

"Ginny?"

"Yes Harry," replied Ginny, looking up from the latest issue of 'The Quibbler'.

"Er, can I tell you something?"

Ginny put the magazine down on the seat next to her. "You know that you can tell me anything Harry. What is it?"

Taking a deep breath and looking into Ginny's chocolate brown eyes, he said, "I don't know what I would have done without you this summer."

"What do you mean?"

"You've helped me through losing Sirius, I, I don't think I could have managed that on my own. And, er, we've got a lot closer this summer, haven't we?"

"Yes," replied Ginny, wondering where this was going.

"I've realised just how much you mean to me."

"Harry, you mean a lot to me too."

"I, I mean, I like you Ginny, a lot." He felt himself start to go red as he said this. "You probably don't feel that way towards me now, I know Hermione said that you'd got over me and that's fine but I just had to tell you how I feel," he finished in a rush.

"Harry, I had no idea that that's how you felt about me. How long?"

"All summer," he admitted sheepishly.

"It's true that I told Hermione that I had got over you."

Harry got a sickening feeling of disappointment as Ginny said this, and he looked down at his hands.

"But what I didn't tell her was that I never actually succeeded in getting over you," said Ginny, smiling.

Harry's head shot up and he grinned goofily.

"Do you mean it?"

"Harry," said Ginny, moving across the compartment to sit next to him. "I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true. I just can't believe that you feel this way towards me."

"Believe me, it's true," replied Harry before reaching down and putting his arms around her before kissing her softly on her lips.

"I believe you now," whispered Ginny into his ear as she placed her hands behind his head and pulled him in for another kiss, running her hands through Harry's silky soft hair.

i_It's just as soft as I always imagined it would be,_/i thought Ginny happily.

Suddenly, the compartment door burst open and Harry and Ginny sprung apart quickly. They looked at the door to see Draco Malfoy standing there, leering down at them, for once not accompanied by his usual cronies.

"Well, who would have thought it? Potter and the Weasel, I didn't think either of you could sink so low."

"Shove off Malfoy," said Harry angrily, reaching for his wand.

Ginny was quicker than he was. Before Harry had even gotten his hand in his pocket, she stood up and whipped out her wand. She pointed it at Malfoy and said clearly, i"_Alatus Mucous!_"/i

Before Malfoy could so much as blink an eye, he was attacked with great, green, winged bogeys flapping across his face. With a howl of fury (or was it pain?) he spun round and fled the compartment, hands stretched blindly in front of him.

Harry burst out laughing and embraced Ginny in a tight hug as she sat back down and said, "You'd have thought that he'd have learnt last year not to look down the wrong end of my wand."

"That was brilliant Ginny."

"I've had plenty of practice on my brothers."

Suddenly Harry remembered where they were before the interruption. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

"Yes," replied Ginny happily.

Just then Ron and Hermione came in and sat down. Ron was beside himself with excitement. "Brilliant, Ginny!"

"What?" asked Ginny, confused.

"You've just got Malfoy with the Bat Bogey Hex! He just came crashing down the corridor with bogeys flapping everywhere."

"What has he done this time?" asked Hermione, looking from Ginny to Harry with a bemused look on her face.

"Oh, he walked in on me and Harry kissing and started with the usual rubbish so I hexed him."

"What! You two were snogging?" gasped Ron.

"Yeah," replied Harry, hoping he hadn't dreamed his conversation with Ron the previous night.

"Ron, its none of your business who I kiss," exclaimed Ginny, fixing Ron with a piercing stare to match Mrs Weasley's. "Harry and I are together now, and unless you want to look like Malfoy then you can butt out for once."

"No, no. I'm happy for you, at least you've both come to your senses now," replied Ron hurriedly.

"Considering that it has taken you this long to tell Hermione how you feel, you are not one to talk Ron," said Ginny angrily.

"OK, I get your point. I know I've been a prat."

"You said it, Ron," retorted Hermione as Harry and Ginny both fell about laughing at the disgruntled look on Ron's face.

"I see you've effectively learned how to shut Ron up," gasped Ginny.

"I've got no choice," replied Hermione, but before she could say any more, Ron silenced her with a kiss.

Smiling, Harry put his arm around Ginny as the train swayed its way steadily towards Hogwarts.


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